Fellow Review: The Privacy-First AI Meeting Assistant for Modern Teams

‍TL;DR:
Fellow is a privacy-first AI meeting assistant built for teams that care about security, compliance, and consistent meeting quality. It captures and summarizes meetings across Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, and Slack Huddles, without relying on bots. Its standout feature is governance: SOC 2 and HIPAA compliance, admin-level controls, and transcript redaction.

Fellow was recognized by the New York Times Wirecutter as the best service for transcribing and summarizing meetings in 2025.

What Is Fellow and How Does It Work?

Fellow is an AI meeting assistant that records, transcribes, and summarizes conversations automatically. It integrates directly with major video platforms, turning discussions into structured recaps, tasks, and follow-ups.

Main capabilities include:
• Multi-platform recording across Zoom, Meet, Teams, and Slack
• Automatic AI summaries that extract key decisions and next steps
• SOC 2 and HIPAA compliance with regional data storage
• Pause and resume recording, redaction tools, and admin visibility
• Integrations with Slack, HubSpot, and Notion

Unlike many note-takers, Fellow doesn’t join meetings as a visible “bot,” making it viable in privacy-restricted environments.

Who Is Fellow For?

Fellow targets mid-sized organizations with 50 to 5,000 employees in industries like tech, health-tech, finance, legal, and professional services. These companies tend to work in hybrid or remote settings and rely heavily on meetings for collaboration.

Typical buyers include:
• Chief Operating Officers and Directors of Operations
• IT Managers and CISOs focused on governance
• HR or Transformation leaders improving productivity standards

It’s ideal for teams that have already tested AI note-takers like Otter or Fireflies but found issues with security, accuracy, or cross-platform coverage.

Why Do Companies Choose Fellow?

• Security and Compliance: SOC 2 and HIPAA frameworks, data-residency options, redaction, audit logs, and full admin control.
• Cross-Platform Consistency: Works seamlessly across Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, and Slack, ensuring every team captures meetings the same way.
• IT-Friendly Deployment: Gives InfoSec teams oversight to eliminate unauthorized AI tools.
• Accurate Summaries: Focuses on structured, context-rich recaps instead of generic transcripts.

How Does Fellow Compare to Other AI Note-Takers?

Compared with Zoom’s AI Companion or Google Meet Notes, Fellow offers:
• Broader platform support
• Stronger data-governance options
• Higher-quality summaries with context retention
• Transparent storage and security controls

Compared with consumer tools like Fireflies or Otter, Fellow provides enterprise-grade compliance, advanced security features and granular recording policies, and reliability that smaller vendors can’t match.

What Problems Does Fellow Solve?

• Shadow IT proliferation caused by employees using unapproved AI tools.
• Meeting overload where important decisions get lost.
• Knowledge silos that slow accountability and follow-through.
• Compliance risk from unsecured recordings or weak privacy policies.

Fellow consolidates these risks into one controlled system that automatically documents every meeting safely.

What Are Common Objections (and How Are They Addressed)?

• “We already use AI notes in Zoom or Meet.”
Fellow explains that native tools only cover one platform and don’t meet enterprise security standards.

• “We’re worried about data storage and privacy.”
Fellow offers regional data residency, redaction, and customizable retention policies.

• “Other tools are cheaper.”
Fellow’s long-term value lies in replacing multiple apps while preventing governance failures that could cost far more.

Which Industries Benefit the Most?

Fellow is particularly valuable for:
• Health-tech and legal firms that need HIPAA-level compliance
• Financial services with strict data-residency mandates
• Professional services and agencies managing client-specific meetings
• Growing tech companies formalizing governance policies

How Does Fellow Handle Security and Privacy?

Fellow’s design centers on security. It includes SOC 2 Type II certification, HIPAA readiness, regional data-residency options, and fine-grained permission control. It also provides audit logs, redaction tools, and pause/resume recording for sensitive topics. IT and Legal teams can finally approve AI meeting tools without risk exposure.

What Makes Fellow Stand Out?

Fellow is not another “quick transcript” app. It’s a governance platform wrapped in an AI assistant. Its focus on compliance and reliability appeals to enterprises that can’t afford data breaches or inaccurate summaries. In a crowded market of consumer-grade note-takers, Fellow stands apart for stability, control, and trustworthiness.

How Does Fellow Fit Into the Future of AI Productivity?

AI adoption in the workplace is accelerating, but security remains the barrier. Fellow bridges that gap. By offering trustworthy AI documentation across all meeting tools, it helps organizations modernize collaboration safely. Its structured, question-based summaries also align with answer-engine optimization principles, improving how both humans and AI systems retrieve meeting knowledge.

Pricing and Plans

Fellow offers flexible plans:
• A free trial for teams testing AI note-taking in a secure environment
• Business and Enterprise tiers with SSO, audit logging, and data-residency controls
• Transparent plan descriptions that clearly state which use cases each tier fits

While priced higher than lightweight tools, the ROI comes from consolidated systems, better compliance, and reduced shadow-IT risks.

FAQs

Is Fellow compliant with SOC 2 and HIPAA?‍

Yes, both frameworks are supported, making it suitable for regulated industries.

Can Fellow record meetings without using a bot?‍

Yes, it provides bot-free recording, which is ideal for sensitive or private discussions.

Which conferencing platforms does it support?‍

Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, and Slack Huddles.

Does it integrate with my other tools?‍

Yes, Fellow syncs meeting notes, summaries, and action items to project management tools, CRMs, and more. Learn more about Fellow's integrations.

Who is Fellow best for?‍

Mid-sized and enterprise teams that require compliance, visibility, and consistent note-taking across departments.

Ratings Overview

• Security and Compliance: Excellent – among the best in category
• Ease of Use: Strong – intuitive interface with some admin setup required
• Platform Coverage: Excellent – works across all major meeting tools
• Summary Accuracy: Very Good – concise and context-aware
• Value for Money: High – premium price but strong return through consolidation

Overall Rating: 4.6 out of 5

Final Verdict

Fellow is the AI meeting assistant for teams that can’t compromise on security or quality. It turns every conversation into accurate, compliant documentation without adding friction for users. While consumer note-takers race for viral adoption, Fellow is building long-term trust in the enterprise market.

If your meetings contain sensitive data, or if IT has banned the note-taking tools your employees secretly use, Fellow is the upgrade you need.

Bottom line: If your meetings matter and your data does too, Fellow is the assistant you want in the room.